Currently, the Bryan Mbeumo deal is very close to Old Trafford, so Man United can rest assured about a "number 10" duo. Last season, Rasmus Hojlund failed to live up to expectations while Joshua Zirkzee was not a pure centre-forward. Therefore, the desire for a striker who can score many goals in the Premier League always motivates the Man United leadership.
In parallel with waiting for Mbeumo, Man United has contacted Aston Villa about the case of Ollie Watkins. At the end of the 2024-2025 season, the two sides had negotiated on Marcus Rashford. Ollie Watkins was introduced as one of the ways the two sides could conduct bilateral transfer deals. Rashford did not play as outstanding in the Villa shirt in the second half of last season, so if he wanted to bring this striker in as a way to exchange, Man United could lose a lot of money to Aston Villa.
At this time, if Man United openly negotiates with Watkins, both sides will be punished because the 29-year-old striker has not yet reached the 6 months left contract with the Villa Park team. However, if Man United are truly willing, Aston Villa can bring Emiliano Martinez to the negotiation table at a not-so-high price because the "Red Devils" are also chasing the Argentine goalkeeper.
In the Premier League, Ollie Watkins has played 184 matches and scored 75 goals, a fairly good performance. Especially in the last 5 seasons, every season the 29-year-old striker has scored 10 or more goals. For a team that is thirsty for a striker who can maintain good performance in the Premier League like Man United, Watkins is considered a safe option, which can be used for 2-3 seasons.
Not only did Watkins score, he contributed quite well to the overall play. In terms of G/A (scoring and assisting), the English star last season had 24 G/A, only behind Erling Haaland (25) and Alexander Isak (29) among the strikers.
However, age is still a big barrier for Watkins as he is a target outside of INEOS's selection criteria. Sir Jim Ratlicffe and his board members only recruit players aged 25 and under. Bryan Mbeumo (25 years old) and Matheus Cunha (26 years old) are considered suitable temporary players with the criteria. If they bring in an aging striker like Watkins, if he unfortunately cannot meet the requirements, Man United will run out of time to help this striker improve.
With the current limited financial resources, Man United is forced to sell players to be able to buy new ones. If they are really interested in Watkins, M.U should quickly find a partner to sell Rasmus Hojlund, even Joshua Zirkzee to clear the way. If there were both Cunha and Mbeumo, Zirkzee's appearance as a striker behind the center back would no longer be necessary. Meanwhile, the Dutch striker could not take this position.
Ollie Watkins' 16 goals and 8 assists last season in the Premier League are enough to attract any team, including those who are very hungry for goals like Man United.
